After Differentiating into an O, Pampered by an A - Chapter 22

Lan Xinqiao debuted years ago as a “pure and innocent” starlet. She was a sweet-looking Omega whose every frown and smile hit Alphas right in the heart. She and the original host had collaborated once on a commercial shoot.

One was an industry newcomer, the other was an industry “Sea King” (player).

It went without saying—the original host had seduced the beauty with just a few words. On set, their eyes were practically locked, and the sweetness level was off the charts. After the collaboration, netizens even shipped them frantically, declaring that since neither side had come out to clarify or avoid suspicion, it must be real—they were definitely dating.

The starlet’s team forbade their artists from dating, but they couldn’t stop the girl’s heart from fluttering, so she and the original host dated in secret.

Just as their relationship was about to take the next step—sharing each other’s pheromones—the original host unexpectedly ran into Lan Xinqiao coming out of a hotel. She bore the marks of being marked and reeked of another Alpha’s pheromones.

He broke up with her on the spot.

As it turned out, Lan Xinqiao appeared innocent and harmless on the surface, but she was deeply ambitious. She used the original host’s popularity as a springboard; once she met a wealthy benefactor, she threw herself directly into another’s arms. Her status rose quickly, leaving Ye Xing several tiers behind.

Thus, the original host was gifted a “green hat” (cheated on).

When Ye Xing heard Ning Youyou finish the story, she couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. It turns out even a “Sea King” gets cheated on; it actually sounded quite satisfying.

However, in Ning Youyou’s eyes, that laugh seemed full of bitterness. She said apologetically, “Sister Xing-xing, I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have brought it up.”

In the VIP airport lounge, Ye Xing stretched lazily. Her fair fingers pushed the black sunglasses up her nose as the broadcast announced their flight was boarding.

The corners of Ye Xing’s mouth curled into a grin as she patted Ning Youyou’s head. “Boarding time. Let’s go. I don’t care if she’s Blue Xinqiao or Green Xinqiao—she has nothing to do with me.”

Seeing Ye Xing’s mindset reached such a level of detachment, Ning Youyou admired her even more and nodded vigorously while hurrying to catch up.

Zhou Island.

After Ye Xing left the airport, the production crew immediately took her to a hotel to rest; official recording wouldn’t start until tomorrow.

Under the scorching sun, the azure seawater turned into ripples of golden fish scales, so dazzling that one could hardly keep their eyes open or distinguish where the water ended and the sky began. Seeing the beautiful scenery outside the window, Ye Xing was in a good mood.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Zhou Island’s five-star hotel—the Gold Territory International Hotel. The director was already waiting there.

Seeing Ye Xing arrive, she stepped forward warmly to greet her. “Teacher Ye, hello! Welcome to Our Countryside is So Beautiful. I’m the show director, Che Xiaoxiao. Can we go over tomorrow’s content together later?”

Ye Xing nodded, putting on her best professional attitude. With a bright smile on her face, she was extremely cooperative. The director was a Beta who appeared humble and polite; Ye Xing had a good impression of her.

Once Ning Youyou finished the check-in, Ye Xing was slightly stunned to see the room card for a luxury penthouse suite.

Noticing Ye Xing’s confusion, Ning Youyou giggled. “Sister Xing-xing, Sister Ling said our artist’s ‘presence’ can’t be less than anyone else’s. The view from this hotel’s penthouse suites is peerless—and there are only two of them!”

Oh, she almost forgot; her manager was a woman of fierce pride.

After showering and changing in her room, Ye Xing appeared on time in the hotel meeting room. She pushed the door open and scanned the room, finding that the director wasn’t alone. There was also a woman with a fine figure and face, with an assistant standing behind her.

The woman sat opposite the director, her makeup and styling so exquisite one might think she had just stepped off a red carpet. In comparison, Ye Xing wore only a simple pure white shirt, yet she looked comfortable, pure, and clean. A beauty, after all, looks good even in a rag.

The woman’s expression faltered for a second when she saw Ye Xing enter, but she quickly regained her cold, glamorous composure.

“Teacher Ye, Teacher Lan, both of you are here,” the director said as she sat Ye Xing down. “As far as I know, you two have worked together before. I believe you’ll have great chemistry this episode and bring new joy to the audience.”

Hearing this, Ye Xing raised her long lashes. Her shimmering peach-blossom eyes looked at the woman opposite her. So this is the little “Green Grass,” Lan Xinqiao? Undeniably, her “damsel-in-distress” look was quite captivating.

The director went through a long list of program rules according to the process—things Ye Xing had already studied. Lan Xinqiao sat across from Ye Xing with a cold face, clearly not listening. Instead, her gaze frequently swept over Ye Xing’s stunning features. Having not seen Ye Xing for a while, she found her more mature and beautiful than before.

Ning Youyou, standing behind Ye Xing, saw Lan Xinqiao’s secret glances. Huh? Why is this woman peeking at my artist? Is she plotting something against Sister Xing-xing again? Tch, what a scumbag girl!

Soon, the director finished and left the room. With the first day’s work done, Ye Xing prepared to leave, but a sweet, cloying voice called her back.

“Ye Xing, long time no see! I didn’t expect to run into you on this show.” It was Lan Xinqiao.

This show was currently very popular; she was here because of her fame, but she hadn’t expected Ye Xing to be invited as well. It seemed Ye Xing had spent a lot of effort to find a foothold back in the industry.

Hearing Lan Xinqiao’s words, Ye Xing felt a strange surge of irritation. She’s implying my tier is too low to be here!

Damn, you didn’t have this attitude when you were riding my coattails for hype back then. People really do get arrogant once they’re famous.

Ye Xing turned around slowly and looked coldly at Lan Xinqiao. “Mm. Is there a reason Teacher Lan called me?” Her tone was unreadable, but her face screamed: Do I look like I want to talk to you?

Lan Xinqiao lacked a bit of perception; she only thought Ye Xing was still holding a grudge over their past. Looking at those beautiful eyes and the powerful Alpha aura radiating from Ye Xing, Lan Xinqiao’s heart actually skipped a beat.

Ye Xing was the first Alpha she had truly liked, but she had chosen her career over love. Now that she had fame and fortune, it was hard to find that initial spark again. Seeing Ye Xing again, she had to admit she was still deeply enamored with that face.

On an impulse, she elegantly walked over to Ye Xing’s side and leaned down slightly, her cleavage so white it nearly blinded Ye Xing. Her voice was soft and sweet. “Ye Xing, you don’t have to be so vengeful. Why don’t we have some good interactions this episode? It’ll surely help you achieve your manager’s goals.”

Ye Xing could tell the “Little Green Grass” was up to her old tricks. She immediately interrupted her, saying in a low voice only they could hear:

“Teacher Lan, you really have thick skin. You need to fix this habit of yours regarding fake hype. Sorry, I won’t be accompanying you!”

With that, Ye Xing left Lan Xinqiao with a sharp, cool view of her back. Lan Xinqiao’s face turned white then red from the humiliation, her long nails digging into her palms.

Ning Youyou followed Ye Xing with quick steps, gossiping excitedly. “Sister Xing-xing, what did you just say to Lan Xinqiao? She looked like she was going to explode! Hahaha!”

Ye Xing ran her fingers through the hair at her temples, her red lips curving into a beautiful arc. She paused and said in a mock-mysterious whisper, “Youyou, remember… curiosity killed the cat.”

Night.

Inside the Jiangting Apartment.

Sun Xi left after taking care of the “Grape Princess.” Shen Yushu sat in her study, flipping through the financial reports from the group’s hotels. Her gaze fell on the Gold Territory International Hotel; its revenue graph had looked frozen since last month.

As the only five-star hotel on Zhou Island, such a report was a failure in her eyes. Shen Yushu put down the files. The silver-framed glasses on her high nose bridge made her skin look even colder and whiter. She adjusted the frames with a fair finger—a look that was both sexy and captivating.

She raised her lashes and dialed Sun Xi. “Assistant Sun, make arrangements. You’re coming with me to Zhou Island tomorrow.”

On the other end, Sun Xi checked the time: 10:00 PM… Truly, it’s the work-loving Shen Yushu!

Shen Yushu hung up. Hearing Little Grape meow twice in the living room, she felt a flare of irritability and went to check. But as she stood up, the glands at the back of her neck suddenly throbbed. Her body felt a jolt of electricity, followed by a wave of numbness.

Shen Yushu nearly lost her balance, propping herself up on the desk with her fingers turning white. After a long moment, she recovered and looked at the calendar.

Her rut was coming—

She took two deep breaths to calm her mind and walked to the living room. She pointed her camera at the little thing. She had been too busy today; only now did she remember Ye Xing’s WeChat message asking about the kitten. She sent the photo.

Her pearly fingers tapped out a reply: [Relax, she’s still alive.]

On the other end, Ye Xing had finished her bath and was lying in her silk robe on the soft bed. Seeing the photo, she wished she could reach through the screen to hug her darling. But seeing Shen Yushu’s cold phrasing, her brows knit.

“Hmph, Shen Yushu, as expected of you!” Ye Xing muttered. She then gave Shen Yushu’s avatar a “sugar-coated flick” (using the “double-tap to nudge” feature).

She didn’t expect to actually “nudge” (pat) Shen Yushu. Her hand shook. Can I unsend this? Is it too late?

Shen Yushu was looking at her screen when she received Ye Xing’s “pat.” She froze for a moment. A cold huff escaped her nose, and without hesitation, she “patted” back.

The phone vibrated: [I patted “Ye Xing’s” perky butt, so sexy.]

Seeing this string of text (her custom status), Shen Yushu’s brow furrowed even deeper. She was speechless.

Ye Xing, on the other end, felt even more “socially dead.” What the hell is ‘perky sexy butt’ status… She quickly saved the photo, closed the chat, and changed her settings, not daring to mess around anymore.

Shen Yushu didn’t bother replying. She scrolled through her Moments and saw Ye Xing’s first post was a photo of Little Grape. The caption: “Day one of missing my Little Grape.”

Shen Yushu’s gaze lingered for a moment before she noticed the location tag: Zhou Island.

The next second, the post was deleted and immediately reposted—the only difference was that the location tag was gone.

In the dimly lit living room, Shen Yushu’s eyes lowered, her emotions unreadable. At 10:30, Sun Xi received another call from Shen Yushu.

“Hello, Assistant Sun. Tomorrow for the trip to Zhou Island… you need to arrange for animal transport as well.”

Sun Xi: “Huh?”